Kicken Confections: The Trials and Tribulations of the Anxious Chefs.: Cinnamon Craisin Bread

Hey everyone . Its super cold and snowy in the NYC these days an when I think of something warm and comforting to help me fuel thru the snowy sidewalks left untouched by my inconsiderate neighbors, I think of home made bread! There is nothing like the feel of making your own bread, mixing the ingredients the smell of the yeast coming back to life and growing. I bake many things but nothing warms my house like bread...that might be due to the fact I leave the oven on to help it rise and ferment but y'know what I mean right?

One of my favorite breads to make is a cinnamon raisin loaf with a crumble topping that is to die for!
Seriously you can put this crumble on almost anything pies, cookies and muffins are my go to for ideas.

So here is the break down of the recipe.

Dough
-Milk 4 ounces
-Water 2 ounces
-Dry Yeast 7 grams
-All purpose flour 1 pound
-Sugar 2.5 ounces
-Salt 3/4 teaspoon
-Whole egg 1

Spread/filling
-Butter melted 2.5 ounces
-Sugar 3 tablespoons
-Cinnamon 2 teaspoons
-Raisins 6 ounces (can be switched out for craisins , yellow raisin etc)

Crumble
-All purpose flour 1and 1/4 ounces
-light brown sugar 2 and 1/2 tablespoons
-Cinnamon 1/2 teasppon
-Butter melted 3/4 ounce
-1 egg white to brush the top of the loaf

Procedure

1. Whisk together yeast, milk, and water and set aside.

2. In a kitchen aid with a paddle, mix all purpose flour, sugar, salt, butter.

3. Add yeast mixture and egg to flour mixture and mix until kneaded.

4. Place in a bowl, cover and ferment. (About 30 to 45 min) or till doubled in size

5. Once fermented, remove from bowl, press dough into a rough rectangular and spread butter, then cinnamon, sugar, and raisins.

6. Fold the 2 ends slightly over and roll tightly from one end to the other, sealing as you go along. Place in a buttered loaf pan seam side down.

7. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with crumb ingredients that have been mixed together to a rough crumb consistency. Ferment at least another 20-30 min.

8. Once risen, bake at 350-375 degrees F for approx 40 minutes.

What the crumble should look like.

The bread will be moist from the swirl in the middle. Also keep in mind as weird as it might sound, some dry fruits produce more moisture than others and have different levels of sweetness.

This bread taste really good toasted with butter and a nice cup of coffee to go with it. Maybe a small slice of toast to go with your oatmeal. Or instead of smearing jelly and butter into a piece of toast to go with your eggs, have a slice from this bread with a little bit of butter. One less thing to have on the table. Maybe smear some peanut butter and skip the jelly.
Pare this yummy bread with your bread pudding mix and you will have out of this world french toast!